Inspection this morning failed due to a leaky rear brake cylinder. I was able to get the old one off and went to get a new one. They came in metric and US types. They verified I had a ,metric one and sold me one. I got it on, what a PITA the clip on the back was. Bad thing, is I cannot get the brake line to go on. Seems I can think its started but just pops off. Any trick to getting these back on. After several hours of just trying this, I gave up for today. Bad thing, the car is not moveable now till I get it back on

Any help is appreciated/

 

I would take out or loosen the fixing bolts first.

 

Did you look at the fitting and the cylinder to make sure it was not cross threading?

 

problem fixed, shop charged me 50.00 to fix the issue. They said they had to remove that Ring off the back and get it started then put it back on. Curious, is there a special tool to put that ring on, the cylinders do not have mounting bolts.

 

No "special tool"; I usually just use a socket. Been a while since I had to do one but I seem to recall using a C-clamp to squeeeeze it on there.

Those are really not too difficult once you do one, and figure out what it is you're working with. They're only a PITA until you see how they go together, which you basically can't while they're already together (especially with a hundred k miles of rust and road funk built up on em); but after that, they're pretty obvious.